Scarlet Hearts
by La.Saffron
Summary: There is something about the Scarlet Despair that electrifies you more than her vast amount of magic energy surging around her very existence...(Eileen Belserion x Reader)
1. Aviary Calling

Sunset.

She smiled. When was the last time she enjoyed a nice peaceful atmosphere where she could muse uninterrupted? She couldn't remember.

Things were getting quite tense in Alvarez lately. Though Madam had been summoned numerous times for the Spriggan meetings, she could never attend due to her location. She was always wandering, never in one place for too long.

She sighed. (Name) felt that she had been pushed to her limits for this "war" that His Majesty was initiating with Ishgar. Honestly, why bother with weaklings? To boost the emperor's ego or for political purposes? (Name) couldn't tell, nor would she try to grasp the reasoning behind it. She was punished once for doing so.

Shifting the ebony scimitar that was strapped to her hip higher, (Name) lifted a stray strand of hair away from her face to get a better view of the scenery before her. Clouds spread away from the falling sun like a curtain, showing off vivid scarlet rays that penetrated the sky's orange-yellow shade. It was serenely beautiful, reminding her of blood that was spilled much too often in her presence.

(Name) smiled softly once more. Scarlet. Such a destructive and confusing shade. Although (Name) was quite used to the view of scarlet all around her, the color always seemed to dim her vision when appearing. The damn shade chased her in her sweetest dreams and haunted her in her worst nightmares.

Inhaling the last fresh air she would probably never breathe again, the captain of the "Eileen Squad' stretched her stiff back and cracked her neck muscles. War was coming and here she was, cracking bones and unraveling stiff backs, like an old wo-

"Captain! Captain! Ahahahah~"

Ugh. Not now. Anytime, but just, not, NOW.

(Name) turned distastefully to retrieve her visitor, Juliet. The orange-haired soldier bounced (fucking BOUNCED) her way up the hill to where her Captain was standing and trying to enjoy a peaceful scenery. (Name) didn't know, nor couldn't grasp _how_ Madam could even enjoy her presence. She, for one, did not.

Juliet's brown orbs stared gleefully into (Name)'s (e/c) ones. "Oh? Captain's watching the sunset?"

"Yes, Juliet."

A high-pitched squeal emerged from her as she began to skip around and ask mindless questions about why (Name) was watching the sunset, where do sunsets come from, and how (Name) would one day look like a sunset if she stared at one too long.

Calmly gritting her teeth, (Name) didn't answer her questions directly, but simply answered a 'yes" or "no", knowing that the girl wouldn't care for a more well-thought reply. She didn't want Juliet here, but (Name) knew full-well that she couldn't so much as touch a hair on Juliet or her depressing partner, Heine. Madam would hear none of it.

"What brings you here, Juliet?" (Name) asked in a monotone, while shifting her attention back on the horizon. Suddenly, it didn't seem as dramatically gorgeous as before. Way to go, Juliet.

Juliet stuck her tongue out in an attempt to look cute and raised her hand in a clumsy salute. "Lady Eileen wants you to flyyyyyy~"

(Name) raised an eyebrow. Madam wanted her to fly?

"Where to?"

Juliet burst into fits of giggles. "Away, away, away!~"

(Name)'s hand itched towards the sword. Then, an image of Madam came into her head and the hand stopped its dangerous and rash movements all on its own. From afar, Heine strode up the hill casually, but gloomily, as if someone stubbed her toe and didn't apologize for it.

"Heine." She wasn't (Name)'s favorite of the two, but if the Captain had to choose who'd she be locked up with forever, Heine would be her choice. Brutally honest, pessimistic, and in a consistent state of maturity.

Her eyebrows were partially hidden by her bandanna and black parting bangs, but all could tell she was frowning of some sort. "Captain. I'm sure you've heard the news by now."

Glaring at a smiling Juliet, (Name) replied directly, "No, I haven't, as a matter of fact."

The frown turned into a confused scringe. "Why not? Juliet hasn't told you?"

(Name) shook her head. Whirling on Juliet, Heine balled her fists. "You fool! Lady Eileen said the matter was important and here you are wasting time, giggling away!"

Another clumsy salute. "Oop-th. Teehee~"

Rolling her eyes, Heine turned back to (Name), crossing her arms. "Lady Eileen requests your presence immediately."

Silence. (Name) waited. Heine cleared her throat. "Well?"

"Is that all?"

"Yup!"

(Name) frowned. Madam would've sent for her by means of telepathy if she so desired. Why send these irritating soldiers? Perhaps she knew about (Name)'s annoyance towards her "children". To the captain, these were pawns, soldiers, and to put it even more bluntly, _**swords**_.

(Name) straightened her back once more. "Very well. Did Madam perhaps add anything else to this state of urgence?"

Heine shrugged. "Those were her exact words, Captain. If there were more, I would have already said."

Juliet rubbed sticky mucus between her fingers while smiling brightly. "Uh-huh! Just like I did! But Captain doesn't seem to like me very much, hmm?"

"You dimwit!" Heine cursed, but anxiously glanced towards the back of their captain. Although (Name) never raised a hand against them, Heine saw what (Name) could do to people she did not like, or insulted her.

But the captain didn't do a thing. She stood there, drinking in the last moments of the sunset before she flew off. She took a deep breath. "You're right, Juliet."

The pair froze. "I don't like you very much. However, it is not you that I blame my hate for, but your Creator." With that, (Name)'s back molded into black and white feathers, her shoulders shuffling into elegant wings, and her feet shrinking into skinny aviary claws, she flapped her giant raven wings to meet with the Scarlet Despair.

As they watched the magical raven fly off into the disappearing sun, Juliet turned to Heine. "What was she saying about me, again?"

Heine scoffed. "Nothing. Captain can be confusing sometimes so it's best if you leave it alone."

Juliet turned back to the speck in the distance. She was quiet for someone who talks too much, causing her partner to notice the unusual silence between her and Juliet. Pretending she didn't notice anything amiss, Heine continued to breathe in this sacred moment of eerie stillness.

"What's going on between Lady Eileen and Captain? Something...more than just master and soldier?"

Ugh. But the question caught Heine off-guard. As she prepared to make a scolding remark, she paused and pondered the question. _Was_ something bothering Captain about Lady Eileen and why didn't they get along in terms of the Captain being summoned?

To give Juliet a sufficient answer, Heine crossed her arms and gave her a sideways glance. "Captain and Lady Eileen? Hmph. Something dangerous...and electrifying."


	2. Demon and Angel

She spotted the giant witches' garments from kilometers away. It was hard to miss, even for a normal human. The antlers from her staff towered above her figure, as always. (Name) almost rolled her eyes. How big can one person's ego be?

(Name) always assumed that the giant and extravagant clothing the Scarlet Despair put on was to make herself look bigger and more important. Later, she found out that that was simply that way she adorned herself, as she was a Lady to the Spriggan Twelve and Alvarez empire.

With a fell swoop, (Name) sank into a high-speed nosedive towards Madam's turned back. On her way down, (Name) contemplated on whether she should implant her sharp beak into back that she faced or slow down and settle gently onto her shoulder...and poop. It was a tough decision.

As she drew closer to the Scarlet Despair, the captain of guard reconsidered and slowed down enough to flap her wings in a steady manner. Lowering herself onto the gap between the antlers of the staff that Madam held, (Name) fluffed her wings, indicating to the witch that she had arrived.

The Scarlet Despair's shoulder left little to no room to settle on, as it was covered by braids and a huge witches' garb. She slowly turned to the elegant raven settled on her staff and offered a gloved finger.

 _I'll crush that finger._

A moment later, the staff groaned under the weight of a human. "Lady Eileen, you know I _despise_ it when you treat me like an animal in my Raven Form. I fear I shall have to take another form to appear before you."

A low feminine chuckle emitted from the witch. "As I expected. You still hold a grudge against the one time I scratched behind your ears and you actually enjoyed it."

(Name) glared into the side of her head as she warped away from the staff and appeared in front of Eileen. "Mark my words, Madam, I have never in my life enjoyed animalistic side effects when I transform. This is the one magic that I felt comfortable enough to share with you and you had to go make it unsettling to be an animal."

Her eyes pierced through (Name). "You have other magics to focus on. Animal Transformation was not the only magic I taught to give. There is a reason you are Captain of my squad."

(Name) narrowed her eyes at her master. "Very well."

Eileen smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. She turned back to the sky, which was nearly dark due to the sun disappearing quickly and sighed. Then, her eyes brightened. Shifting her staff to bring it closer to her torso, Eileen inhaled another deep breath, this time letting the tension drain from her body.

"Once," she began. (Name) nearly groaned. A story from the philosophical side of Lady Eileen. If she could wash her brain out from all the legends of Earthland and other worlds, (Name) would go for it. However, she stayed silent and listened respectfully.

"There was a small hillside village that held two lovers whose relationship was taboo on all accounts." Eileen continued, "But, the lovers were so deep in their attachment to each other, they could not separate from one another. So, one of the two compromised a plan to run away from their lifestyle and into a faraway land that promised lush life and freedom from obligations."

(Name) stopped examining her cuticles. Something about this story felt familiar.

"However deep in love the pair were, they were complete opposites concerning their personalities." Eileen swallowed before smiling a little wider than before. "One was a diabolical devil and the other a sweet angel."

She smiled more genuinely now, a rare sight to see by the one dubbed the 'Scarlet Despair'. "This, obviously, was not to attribute to the fact that they are, indeed, devil and angel. Simply the personalities are comparable to the two spiritual titles of the Heavenly realms."

The witch turned towards her servant. "Well then, my sweet. What are your thoughts on such a wonderful tale?" There was that sarcastic tone to it, but then again Eileen could be serious when it came to her soldiers. She obviously did not care for them as much as she did her own enchantments, but her interest in (Name) was quite peculiar, suspicious even.

Heaving her bust up to her collarbone, (Name) crossed her arms and looked into the witch's eyes; the chocolate hazel in her iris' swirled with mischievousness. Eileen was not expecting an honest answer, but wanton playfulness returned to her in the slightest of forms.

Too bad for her. (Name) bowed to no one, not even a proclaimed queen like Eileen.

"The devil is a fool," (Name) spoke coldly, startling Eileen out of her cute smirk. "For taking advantage of what good lies before him. The angel has the power in the relationship; she can make her partner think she is weak and vulnerable, but when he pulls back too hard, this angel will let go of her act."

Eileen gripped her staff tighter. Her expression was stoic; a slightly scary sight for (Name). Maybe she had gone too far with her small rebellion. Swallowing carefully, (Name) continued to speak, "This legend...does not belong to any culture, does it?"

Eileen did not look at (Name), but instead chose to look up at the evening sky. The sun had some weak rays piercing the edge of the horizon but slowly painted the heavens with a black and blue ombre. Stars glittered like diamonds, sparkling every few specks above the couple.

The silence killed (Name). Perhaps Mistress was upset with her choice of words? She had no clue. Often times, the Scarlet Despair was more enigmatic than shown at first glance. A light breeze blew by, waving the crimson braids of the witch and the long tails of her hat. (Name) waited yet more, but the animalistic nature of her magic caused her to rub her thighs together, simply out of anxiousness.

"No."

A sigh. "The story doesn't belong to any other culture you were taught of in my lessons. It is a story you were bred with as you grew with me. As a child, you were a naughty, annoying brat. But then again, you were a mere child. So, I had pity on your pathetic being for the meanwhile."

The Scarlet Angel calling (Name) pathetic was the one of the nicest things she would ever relay to another human being. She proceeded, slowly turning her back in the process. "You had something special, though. I had brought it up with his Majesty when I met you in my travels and he gladly obliged for another strong soul to be added to the Alvarez Empire.

"You grew in ranks and outwitted any other officer in my caliber. You were one of the reasons Juliet and Heine were brought into existence. Both girls were based off of you, my sweet."

Everytime Eileen called (Name) "my sweet", she shivered. Something about it was off; she wasn't usually this affectionate with anyone.

"Men have never been my strongest point. One even betrayed me with my trust, going so far as to attempting to murder me with his child." The witch straightened her back, growing prouder by the minute. "Alas, he is no more and that was over 400 years ago."

This startled (Name). _His child?_ Lady Eileen had a husband? She had heard rumors about the crimson-haired queen living over 400+ years ago, having been a queen even then, but over a species that was long gone: Dragons.

Of course, (Name) had not believed one ounce of the rumors that the young girls ranted about when bathing in the magical waters of Alvarez, but now it seemed that the Scarlet Angel was confirming her suspicions.

"You...had a marriage?" (Name) didn't mean for her usual cross demeanor to change to being a mewling quim, but this is what the witch did to her sometimes.

Scowling slightly, Eileen pursed her lips. "I thought to call it a marriage. However, we married for political reasons."

"Ah…" (Name) knew that even now, this was not uncommon among lords and and lands. To keep peace, an old marqui would marry off his young daughter to a middle-aged king to settle land dispute. Love was not an option to many for marriage reasons.

"And this child of yours...she is Erza?"

Almost instantly, she regretted those words ever coming out of her mouth. Was the earth shaking or…? No, it was her Mistress' rage resonating within her ears. (Name) had never felt so much magic energy concentrated into one place before she had met the Scarlet Despair, even as a child. Vermilion magic aura seeped off of the witch's body in copious amounts as she turned to you with a fierce look in her eyes.

You wanted to die of fright when she suddenly appeared in front of you, the soft hazel gaze in her eyes gone as it was replaced with a lethal glare. Eileen towered over your cowering figure, gripping her staff with a deathly vice that had it not been pure mahogany, it would've snapped under intense pressure.

She leaned in close and you made no movement to instinctively bow your head back. " _Don't you **ever** mention that wretched name in my presence again. Am I clear_?"

Your silence insulted her, making Eileen grab for your throat and pulling you close, her sharp claws digging into your soft skin. You gasped at the sudden cut of air, but you made no move to remove her hand from your throat. Perhaps this was a better way to die than her other torture methods that she inflicted on her victims, thus earning her the dreaded moniker of the "Scarlet Despair".

Her forehead tapped yours and her crimson bangs brushed lavishly against your face. Had you not been choking to death by a beautiful queen, this would have been quite the gentle moment. Unfortunately, you were more focused on gasping for air, not enjoying the moment.

Her witches' garb lifted over you as she bowed her head deeper to intensify her gaze. Perhaps it was your imagination, but was that an ivory sphere around her pupil? It shone brighter with her smile and thankfully, now that she had you closer to her, her hand loosened its grip. The leather covering her hands ghosted across the skin of your neck.

"You are quite the fool, (Name)." The queen's affectionate voice cut through the silence and you noticed that the fearsome aura that once surrounded her was starting to ebb. You should have relaxed, but her reaction to your slip-up had scared you speechless.

She cocked her head in mock curiosity. "Still thinking about your error? Oh, worry not. You'll receive your punishment in time. For now…"

Eileen pulled back from you, her strange warmth gone and leaving you craving for its return. It had a motherly touch to it, but now, it seemed as if a vixen's soul had possessed that maternal aura. It was seductive and sly. This was not the true Eileen Belserion, but that was not your business to poke into.

Her sharp eyes roamed over your entire figure, making you press your thighs together in anxiousness. Your previous sassy attitude was now gone, perhaps forever, as long as you were under her rule.

"I want your soul to morph into a riding beast for my travel." She smiled when she noticed your change in expression, boosting her ego. "You will accompany me to my current domain. There, we shall determine your retribution for this slight mishap of yours."

Leaving no room for argument, her eyes had your inner magic awaken suddenly, causing your nails to rake into long claws, your eyes to stretch across your temples, your entire figure reshaping into an elegant and healthy beast of some sort. You were a mix of a lion, an eagle, and a cheetah, allowing your ivory wings to snap open.

As the Scarlet Despair mounted you, you sensed her hot core come into contact with your spine, her slim legs spreading to clasp around your shoulders. Her staff waved around to create a pair of reins around your neck and mouth, thus allowing her to control your speed when you flew.

She leaned forward once more to whisper a command: "Fly, my pet."

* * *

 **A/N-** WOOO! I have been inactive here for tooooo long! So sorry! Here's my reasons why: school (the biggest and assiest one yet), other websites (Ao3, Tumblr, Quotev), and other issues regarding my writer's block. But alas here I am!

Also, there will most likely be some heatedness going on in the next chapter all in memory of my Queen B(elserion) *sniff sniff*

Saffron out!


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